1. Most Rare 50p List
2. Rare 50p Coins List

Check our page for rare 50p coins value of all base metal 50p coins in circulation. We also have a rare two pound coins list. To see how many of each fifty pence coin were produced, see our 50p price list page which includes mintage figures for each 50p coin. This will show you every all rare 50p coins in circulation.

While many versions of the 50p coin have been issued, few designs raise a smile like those released to commemorate the beloved children’s author Beatrix Potter.

• The Royal Mint has revealed the rarest 50p coins in circulation, presumably fuelling a desperate rummage down the back of the nation’s sofas. It released the top 10 rankings ahead of the 50th anniversary of decimalisation, which comes on 15 February – the Decimal Day changeover of 1971 inspired many people to become coin collectors over the years.
• Some 400 rare 50p coins have gone into circulation - and if you spot one you could be in for a small profit. The Royal Mint has released a special edition 2019 Peter Rabbit coin.

Various characters have been honoured over the years, with some of the coins issued in smaller mintages, which makes them more valued by collectors.

The Royal Mint has revealed the rarest 50p coins in circulation ahead of the 50th anniversary of decimalisation, which included two of the Beatrix Potter designs.

Here are the coins to look out for in your own loose change, and how they compare to some of the rarest coins in circulation.

How rare are the Beatrix Potter 50p coins?

Two of the Beatrix Potter collection make the Royal Mint’s top 10 rankings – one adorned with the image of Peter Rabbit, the other with Flopsy Bunny.

Both were released into circulation in 2018, and have a mintage of 1,400,000, putting them in joint sixth position.

Most Rare 50p List

While there has only been one Flopsy Bunny 50p coin issued, the Peter Rabbit design is one of three, with the others – released in 2016 and 2017 – far more common.

There are other relatively rare Beatrix Potter coins, such as the 2018 Mrs Tittlemouse coin with a circulation of 1,700,000, and the Jemima Puddle Duck design from 2016 at 2,100,000.

Others with a comparatively low mintage include the 2018 Tailor of Gloucester (3,900,000), and the 2016 Squirrel Nutkin (5,000,000), while the most common design is the 2017 Benjamin Button coin, with 25,000,000 released into circulation.

The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p remains by far the rarest coin in circulation, with a mintage of just 210,000, while the most common, the 1997 Britannia 50p, has a circulation of 456,364,100 times. Here is the Royal Mint’s full top 10:

1. 2009 Kew Gardens, 210,000

2. 2011 Olympic Wrestling, 1,129,500

=3. 2011 Olympic Football, 1,161,500

=3. 2011 Olympic Judo, 1,161,500

5. 2011 Olympic Triathlon, 1,163,500

=6. 2018 Peter Rabbit, 1,400,000

=6. 2018 Flopsy Bunny, 1,400,000

8. 2011 Olympic Tennis, 1,454,000

9. 2011 Olympic Goalball, 1,615,500

10. 2011 Olympic Shooting, 1,656,500

Are the Beatrix Potter 50p coins valuable?

The rare coins website Change Checker has an eBay tracker, which details how some 50p coins can fetch significant sums in the secondary sale market.

Rare 50p Coins List

According to this, the most valuable of the Beatrix Potter coins is the Jemima Puddle-Duck design, which fetched an average of £12.00 over the nine most recent completed eBay sales up to mid-January.

This is significantly behind the Kew Gardens 50p coin, which reportedly attracted an average price of £156.00.

There are are no shortage of sellers on eBay purporting to sell a range of rare 50p coins, which tend to offer the 2018 Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny designs for between £9 and £15.

It should be pointed out, as Change Checker states, the market in supposedly valuable coins “can be a bit of a minefield,” and it’s important to do your research before being taken in by viral stories of coins fetching huge sums.

Last year, for example, various reports claimed a Battle of Hastings 50p sold for £63,000 on eBay, supposedly because it was “very rare”.

This coin was launched in 2016 to commemorate the famous battle’s 950th anniversary, with as many as 6.7 million entering circulation.

Speaking to The Mirror, Alexandra Fiddons from Change Checker wasn’t able to explain exactly why the coin would sell for such a purportedly high fee, but said that sometimes “random coins” do reach surprising prices.

While some coins can fetch sums comfortably above their 50p value, often it is “error coins” – versions which found their way into circulation after being minted with mistakes – which are particularly valued by collectors.

While rare 50p coins often have sky-high asking prices on eBay, that doesn’t mean you’ll actually get that much. We asked the experts what collectors will really pay for the most valuable 50p coins still in circulation.

A rare 50p coin may have sold for more than £90 on eBay earlier this week.

A listing for a Kew Gardens 50p coin achieved a winning bid of £91 (thanks to the Mail for spotting this) on 30 May.

You may have noticed that we said the coin 'may' have sold rather than 'has' sold.

As we've reported before, we've sadly seen a number of confirmed sales fall through on the auction site in the past, so we'll have to wait for confirmation of a successful sale.

That's not to say the coin in question isn't valuable and couldn't fetch such a price.

As you'll see below, genuine rare 50p coins have already been known to sell for £70.

So how can you tell whether your 50p piece is actually worth more than its face value? Read on to find out.

Don’t believe the hype

Be wary of both tabloid articles and asking prices online, says Luke Hearn of the Change Checker website.

Both can give a very over-inflated idea of what a coin is really worth.

'To be honest, there is a lot of misinformation written in the press regarding coins,' he says.

'The first and most obvious example of this is when people list coins for a ridiculous amount on eBay when actually nobody is ever going to pay that much.

“I think the reason behind this is nothing more complicated than people chancing their arm on the off chance they may get lucky.'

It's best, then, not to be too optimistic – and, if you're checking prices out on eBay, make sure you look at the prices coins have actually sold for, rather than the asking price.

Still have some of the old £1 coins? Find out if they are worth more than face value

What collectors are looking for

If you do find a rare coin, it'll need to be in good condition with little sign of wear and tear if you're to get any more than the face value.

Collectors are particularly keen on ‘Brilliant Uncirculated’ coins, which are made with a special superior finish.

However, it's still worth checking your change for 50p coins that were never intended for circulation but somehow have slipped out.

'This sometimes happens when some poor soul is robbed of their coin collection and the thieves simply break them out of their packaging and spend them,' says Perkins.

'Some of these coins are valuable: for example, the 2011 Olympic Aquatics coin with extra lines on the swimmer's face, which was a design that was withdrawn, not adopted and shouldn't have seen the light of day.

“They are rarely offered for sale as they are rarely encountered. The withdrawn 50p in its original packaging is worth £1000-plus.'

But it’s not all about the super-rare coins. There are many for more common 50p versions that are worth a few quid to collectors.

So if you've got a spare couple of minutes, you may want to fetch your purse or wallet right now.

Check Your Change has put together a list for loveMONEY of some of the 50p pieces in circulation that are genuinely worth more than their face value.

Happy hunting!

The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p: up to £70*

The Kew Gardens 50p was released in 2009 to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens. It's the rarest coin of any denomination currently in circulation, with only 210,000 ever issued.

*Pending confirmation

The 2011 Olympic Football 50p: around £8

Of the 29 50p coins issued to mark the 2012 Olympics, the Football version is the most valuable.

The 2016 Puddle-Duck 50p: £6 – £8

The Jemima Puddle-Duck 50p is the rarest of the five coins in the Beatrix Potter series. Only 2.1 million are in circulation.

The 2011 Olympic Triathlon 50p: around £6

There are 2.18 million of these in circulation, depicting a runner, a cyclist and a swimmer.

The 2011 Olympic Judo 50p: around £6

With 1.16 million in circulation, this is one of the rarer Olympic coins.

The 2011 Olympic Wrestling 50p: around £5

Designed by Roderick Enriquez, this shows two wrestlers in action.

Other Olympic coins

In fact, all of the 2011-dated Olympic coins are harder to find now and can find buyers for between £1 and £2.

But, says Perkins, 'Obviously if you take selling fees into account and the hassle of posting them, it's a lot of effort to make £1 or so!'

The 2003 Suffragette 50p: around £1.50

This is worth three times its face value.

The 2011 WWF 50p: around £1.50

Again, this 50p is only just about worth selling, once you've taken fees and postage into account.

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